@happyostrich128 Anguilla, island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, a British overseas territory. It is the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles and lies about 12 miles (19 km) north of the island of Saint Martin and 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Saint Kitts.
Islands that lie on the Caribbean plate are called the "West Indies". They are divided into two regions: The Antilles and the Bahamas/Turks and Caicos Islands (which are not actually in the Caribbean sea, but the Atlantic).
There are two sets of islands that make up the "Antilles" (the larger portion of the West Indies): the "Lesser Antilles" and the "Greater Antilles". The "Greater Antilles" are formed of bigger islands like Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti/Dominican Republic. The "Lesser Antilles" include Barbados, St. Barts, Dominica, and, yep, Anguilla! These islands are located in the Eastern part of the Caribbean sea, bordering the Atlantic ocean.
The "Lesser Antilles" breaks down into "Leeward", the northern islands (ex. BVIs), and "Windward", the southern islands (ex. St. Lucia). The name leeward refers to the winds that mainly blow in from the east, touching the "Windward Islands" first, making these islands "downwind/leeward" of them.
Our beloved 39 square mile desert island is located in the Leeward chain of islands, east of Puerto Rico. In fact, it is the most northern island in all of the Caribbean sea.
The closest island to Anguilla is Sint Maarten, four miles south. Just hop on an Anguilla ferry and you will be in "France" in twenty minutes!
Phew, that is the most detailed answer I've ever given to the question "where is Anguilla?" Normally, I just say "near St. Martin" and everyone knows what I'm talking about. 🙂
To see where Anguilla is in relation to other Caribbean islands and North, Central and South America, use the Google Map below.